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Lost (CTD)
The Lost are a Doom of the Dauntain. Overview The most common means by which a changeling falls is the denial of their fae nature. Human one day and Kithain the next, they experienced a Chrysalis with no one around to guide their way. They could not accept it. Their mind could not handle the sudden change in realities, the loss of a firm grounding in what they believed to be true. Where yesterday a library sat, today a castle made of shining glass stands, the guardian lions now live griffins. This can be too much for the human mind to handle. These Lost are rarely recognized, as most of them are missed upon their Chrysalis. When another changeling does find one, they will often treat him or her as a particularly dangerous Autumn Person with more than their usual share of Banality. When they are identified, they are considered to be the definition of the Dauntain: Banality-corrupted Kithain bent on destroying all Glamour. Ordinarily, the changed perceptions would not present a difficulty to the average Kithain. Either they would retreat into their seeming and forget or they would instinctively accept what they saw on a deeper level, even if they react with disbelief on the surface. Neither case occurs with the Lost. Instead, to the core of their being, they reject what they see as absolutely unreal. They choose Banality. Rather than face the wonder of the new world, they withdraw into the comfort of the old. This is not like the retreat which leads to forgetfulness and an eventual reawakening. It is a willing embrace. Because the Dauntain has not lost their knowledge of Glamour, such as it is, they can still see it, feel it, sense it. This becomes a torment as their very sanity comes into doubt and so they seek to destroy that which they cannot understand. In the case of those who are newly aware of their nature, they may consider themself to be utterly insane, their world suddenly turned upside down. Everything they know is not only utterly wrong, it contradicts everything they see now. To avoid this, they construct a fantasy world around themself, which is, ironically, a close to their perception of the "real" world as possible. The Dauntain now believes that they have discovered some form of insanity which they must stop. Quite often, this desire to fight the madness extends to any Kithain they encounter. To this end, they will go to amazing lengths to simply remove any Kithain. They will probably develop an intense hatred of all Kithain and possibly even a revenge complex, believing them responsible for dragging them into this horrible, unreal world which they can never escape. In either case, the Lost will begin to build elaborate schemes and self-deceptions to justify their actions to themselves and others. They can be quite Byzantine in their thinking in the simple effort to avoid the truths of the world around them. Possible therapy for the Lost involves making them see the truth of existence, bringing them back into the fold. Appearance The Lost, when they have a fae mien at all, look like famine victims. Their appearance will not be much different from their mortal seeming, yet it is obvious that they are cut off from what gives them sustenance. With each Kithain destroyed, the Lost grows even more gaunt and unhealthy, until they are finally Undone. Arts & Cantrips These Dauntain don't often use cantrips, at least not consciously. The reason for this is that most are not aware of the potential gifts which would be theirs by birthright. Of those few who do possess Arts, they nearly always use them to cancel out other uses of Glamour, rather than to actively create effects. Examples * Dr. Anton Stark * Dr. Joseph Chapman * Karen Croyd Outlook * Kithain: Poor, deluded fools. They must be brought into the light of reason and made to understand that the dream world in which they live is just that: the stuff of fantasy. Our methods may be harsh, but we ground them in solid reality when we're through with them. * The Cursed: They're lost in their own fantasies, just like those crazies who are trying to recruit me into their dream world. The difference is these are dangerous psychopaths. * Black Magicians: Self-deluded power mongers who'll do anything to get a bigger piece of the pie. Too bad they don't understand they're grasping at clouds. * Nihilists: This is foolish, to waste away to nothing. What good does that do? If you don't act to improve the world, you're part of the problem. * Apostates: They spout nonsense and fancy. Just like the others, they need help before they spread their delusions to others. * Typhoids: It's often typical of those who have been afflicted with mental illness to attempt to pass the blame along to others. But to try to lay blame for being cured? Sad. References # CTD. The Autumn People, pp. 52-53, 64. Category:Dauntain (CTD)